The Tenkage Diaries
by MT Pocketts
Summary: Tenten has lived alone with her Mother for many years in Konoha. She’s always been a bit of a tomboy, but little did she know she was the illegitimate daughter of the Tenkage of a nearby village, and she has had a marriage arranged for her since birth!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any characters from Naruto.

The Tenkage Diaries 

**Summary-** Tenten has lived alone with her Mother for many years in Konoha. She's always been a bit of a tomboy, but little did she know she was the illegitimate daughter of the Tenkage of a nearby village, and she has had a marriage arranged for her since birth! Based loosely on the 'Princess Diaries' by Meg Cabot, TentenXNeji

**A/N:** "Tenkage" is a totally made up position that's supposed to be like Hokage or Kazekage, okay? Cool, enjoy and please R&R!

It all started out like a completely normal day. Tenten woke up and hopped in the shower, she never could quite wake up without that shower in the morning. She began to put up her hair in buns and pinned them securely. Glancing over to the notepad she kept by her phone, she smiled to see that she had a sparring match with Neji in the afternoon. Tenten turned back to look herself over once more in the mirror, silently promising herself that she'd get him this time around.

Going out to the kitchen, she found her Mom, Rumiko, preparing breakfast. Tenten smiled at the smell of bacon and eggs. Tenten looked a lot like her Mother, they both had long, dark brown hair and pale skin. But their eyes were the main difference between the two. Tenten had dark eyes while her Mother had gray blue ones.

As usual they ended up debating who got to do the shopping that morning, and in the end Tenten lost this time. She groaned loudly as her Mother gave her the shopping list, but she set out right away to get it out of the way before her match with Neji.

Tenten went about her shopping half-heartedly, thinking of how her Mother could be doing this and allowing Tenten some precious time with her new playstation. Grumbling about this injustice, Tenten paid no attention to the chatter of the other customers and the clerks.

"I hear he's coming to Konoha today!"

"But why? His heir can't possibly be here!"

"I wonder what he looks like in person!"

Tenten overheard some of this as she paid for the groceries, but most went in one ear and out the other. That was, until she heard 'Tenkage'. She looked up immediately and saw that one person was waving around a magazine with a picture of the Tenkage on the cover with something about an illegitimate heir on it. She listened a little longer out of curiousity. Apparently, his child was about to come of age and she was required to marry some other high-ranking person.

_'Poor girl,'_ She thought to herself and left.

"Hey Mom, you'll never guess what the little ladies in the store were gossiping about today-" Tenten began as she came in with the groceries, but stopped mid sentence as she looked at who now sat next to her Mother on the couch. Her jaw dropped involuntarily, and the groceries hit the ground with a dull thud. There was no way this was possible.

On the couch, next to her Mother, sat none other than the Tenkage himself. He sat there as if they were only discussing the weather, his red brown hair hanging loosely to his shoulders and his deep brown eyes fixed on Tenten's. The eyes that so closely resembled hers it was unmistakable why he was there.

_'Oh, I can't even think it…'_ Tenten stood there thinking to herself. Everything seemed to have stopped for that brief moment.

"Tenten, honey," Her Mother began awkwardly, glancing back and forth between her daughter and the Tenkage. "This is your Father, Takashi Amaku."

"You mean…My Father is the T-Tenkage?" Tenten said the words but couldn't feel her mouth move.

"I know this comes as quite a surprise, Tenten," Her Mother spoke in a comforting tone and rose from the couch to walk over to her. Tenten pulled away.

"A surprise? A surprise is when some jumps out and yells 'Happy Birthday', a surprise is when you find money in the street. This is a shock to me," Tenten explained in, well shock, like she said.

"Tenten," Amaku finally spoke up, "I realize that I should have been in your life more than I was, but I couldn't after becoming Tenkage. I hope we can make up for lost time…"

"In 17 years you couldn't find time?" Tenten questioned. Amaku went silent.

"He came for…a specific reason…" Her Mother began.

'No way…This can't be happening!' She thought, 'The rumors are not true…'

"I had to…Make a deal with another village…" The Tenkage spoke, diplomatically yet with a touch of heart behind it. "And I'm sorry I have no way out of it…"

"It's not true…No way…" Tenten said aloud this time.

"There has to be a way, Amaku-san," Tenten's Mom jumped in. At least someone seemed to be on her side.

"I'm sorry, Tenten," Her Father looked sincere, of course she'd only known him for a few minutes. "But…You have an arranged marriage with someone from another village."

_'NO!' _Tenten's mind screamed, _'I want to be with Neji!'_

"There has to be another way-" Tenten's Mother tried again.

"I don't have time for this!" Tenten snapped. She went towards the door, and her Mother made a move to stop her but she pushed her away. "I'm going to be late for training with Neji."

"Tenten!" Her Father tried, but she was already gone. Her Mother went to sit by Amaku, shaking her head.

"Why couldn't you have told her ten years ago?" She asked.

"I…Didn't know…" He answered.

"What?"

"The last Tenkage made the promise, before him and his daughter died on a mission. I had to fulfill it, since I am Tenkage now and have a daughter of appropriate age."

"Let's give her some time, she might come to understand. And, Amaku-san, there just has to be a way."

"I wish there was…Who did she say she was meeting?" Amaku looked tired.

"Hyuuga Neji, he's the prodigy of the Hyuuga clan."

"She trains with a prodigy?" He was surprised. "There may be a way after all…" He sighed and looked once more at Rumiko. "You are looking well after all this time, Rumiko."

"It is nice to hear your flattery again," She smiled, "Perhaps you should try it on your daughter."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of the characters from Naruto.

**A/N:** So almost none of the characters will stay in character for very long, I can pretty much guarantee that. So, I just mainly wanted to have some fun with this. Maybe you'll like it too.

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"_It is nice to hear your flattery again," She smiled, "Perhaps you should try it on your daughter."…_

Tenten ran full blast from her house to the training area where she was supposed to meet Neji. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as the thoughts chased each other around in her head. Her father was Tenkage? And now she had to marry a complete stranger? No way! But she knew training would help her to forget. Soon she would lose herself in jutsus and weapons.

She stopped before going into the clearing to wipe the tears from her face. No one but her needed to know she was crying. No one needed to know she was daughter of the Tenkage. And Neji was about the last person she wanted to find out any of these things.

Upon entering the clearing, she saw Neji turn towards her and smirked. She made her best attempt to smile back as he lapsed back into his state of stoicism. Tenten walked to the center of the clearing and Neji did so as well. Stopping about ten feet from each other they were silent. Tenten was used to this, Neji was always quiet. But she knew something was different when he frowned at her.

"Your eyes are red," He stated emotionlessly. Tenten made to wipe the wetness away quickly and he just stared.

_'Great, he knows I was crying and now he's staring. I'm so pathetic!'_ She thought and took a deep breath when she was satisfied that she looked better. Neji was no longer frowning, but his eyes were still fixed on hers.

"What's wrong?" He wanted to know.

"Nothing, let's just do this," She answered. He knew that tone, it meant she would not answer no matter how much she was pressed. Neji didn't know what to think, he hadn't seen her like this for a long time. He couldn't help but wonder what had happened.

"You're sure?"

"Positive," She opened her scroll and they began.

Tenten could tell he was only coming at her half-heartedly, and that made her mad. He saw her as weak now, and wouldn't even challenge her. That needed to change. She directed all of the emotion she was feeling towards him. It wasn't even Neji to her anymore, he was just the target; the outlet for her feelings.

_'For fourteen years he couldn't find the time to see me,'_ She slashed at him with both hands causing him to jump back to avoid the attack.

_'Mom has known it all these years and never told me,' _Tenten found an opening in his defense and went for it, catching his leg.

_' And now I have to marry a complete stranger…'_ She saw a flash go past her and hit it with all she had.

_'…So I can never marry-'_ She prepared a direct hit when suddenly he came up in front of her, startling her, _'Neji!'_

He grabbed her arm, twisting it away from his face and pushed her back. She cried out in pain. Tenten felt him hit her shoulder and she fell back onto her rear. Gasping from the pain in her arm and shoulder, she realized he'd used gentle fist on her.

"Why did you use gentle fist?" Tenten wanted to know, she had made it clear before that he could practice that with anyone but her.

"Why were you trying to kill me?" He asked incredulously. "You're never that aggressive, if I'd not done gentle fist I wouldn't be able to walk now."

Tenten looked surprised and he disregarded it. She seemed to have a lot on her mind today, and it had seemed like she wasn't even really looking at him. Tenten studied the ground, still rubbing her arm where he'd grabbed her.

"I'm sorry…" She started. "It's just that…I've had a really bad day."

Neji looked up at her patiently, waiting for her to tell him about it. But she never said anything. He felt confused but didn't show it_. 'Why isn't she talking? I thought that's what girls did, they talk. Don't they?'_ He thought and instead searched through his pack for ointment. Tenten watched him curiously but said nothing. They were on the edge of the training area, Tenten had scooted over to a tree for support and Neji was now sitting next to her. She yelped when he took her arm and began to rub ointment onto it.

"Excuse me, what do you think you're doing?" Tenten asked. He didn't answer until he'd rubbed it thoroughly into the skin of her arm. She felt it tingling there and started questioning her choice in friends.

"It's a strong herbal remedy for chakra flow," He stated and let her take her arm back. "It also works well for deep cuts, like this one."-He indicated the one she'd inflicted on his leg.- "Now will you let me treat your shoulder?"

"What?" Tenten blinked in confusion.

"I hit your shoulder, now can I put some ointment on it?"

"Oh, yeah sure," She started to unbutton her blouse and he stopped her.

"What are you doing?"

"You grabbed the top of my shoulder, so I'm going to let you put ointment there, ok?" She pulled down the sleeve and leaned her head away so that he could reach. Neji went silent as he put the ointment on, and she thought for a moment that maybe his cheeks had turned pink. No, not possible, Neji couldn't turn pink. It just wasn't possible.

When he had finished she buttoned her shirt up again and he seemed relieved. Neji then went to put some onto his cut when she suddenly took the ointment from him. He looked surprised when she pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed away the blood. It turned into an awkward position, because the cut was on the inside of his lower thigh she had to sit in between his legs in order to reach better. How Tenten had managed to hit him there neither of them were exactly sure.

"Tenten," Neji said once she had finished up. "Do you want to talk about what happened today?"

She looked back at him with a look in her eyes he couldn't quite read. It was a mix of disappointment, hurt, surprise and wanting. Neji didn't know what to make of it, and he wished she would just talk to him.

But she wouldn't, because she couldn't bring herself to tell him she was engaged to someone else.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any characters from Naruto.

_She looked back at him with a look in her eyes he couldn't quite read. It was a mix of disappointment, hurt, surprise and wanting. Neji didn't know what to make of it, and he wished she would just talk to him. _

_But she wouldn't, because she couldn't bring herself to tell him she was engaged to someone else…_

Tenten was back at home, in bed, not sleeping. She was lying awake thinking. She truly wished that she could fall asleep so that she would have some peace from these thoughts. Neji had walked her home just like he always did. And the two of them had been quiet the whole way, like they were most of the time.

But this was different somehow. He wanted her to open up and vent like she had so many times before. This time she just couldn't. Most girls would love to be in this situation, it was the next best thing to being a real Princess except for this whole-arranged marriage thing. That was the part she couldn't stand, the part she couldn't tell Neji. Because he was why she didn't want to be the daughter of the Tenkage, and that was something she couldn't just come out and say.

Then she'd come home and her Father had decided to take her out to lunch the next day. He said he wanted to finally get to know her, and make up for lost time. Tenten was actually looking forward to that. She had never had a Father figure in her life before, and now here he was. Of course things could get complicated, him being well known and all. But she would finally get to know her Dad, and that would be worth it.

At the restaurant they were given a private booth, so that they were less likely to be disturbed. Tenten was placed with the better view of the rest of the restaurant while Amaku had his back to them. They had hoped this would keep him from being recognized.

Meanwhile, at the other side of the restaurant, there was a big family birthday party for their prodigy. It was Neji's special day and he'd been allowed to chose the restaurant and invite friends if he'd wanted. Of course, he only really wanted Tenten there but wasn't sure how she'd take the invitation. In the end he decided to play it safe and only invite family like Hinata had for her birthday (until they saw Sasuke but that's another story :D).

Back to Tenten… 

"So, Amaku-san," Tenten started.

"Please, if you use my name just call me Amaku," He said, understanding that it would be a stretch to ask her to call him 'Dad'.

"Sorry Amaku, but I was wondering what it's like where you're from," She asked.

"Well, we're famous for our swords-"

"Really? I'd love to see them!"

"Oh I'd love to show you my collection, I didn't know you liked weaponry,"

"It's my specialty!" Tenten replied with glee.

"I may have to teach you the Takashi sword technique then," He smiled at her, and she nodded enthusiastically. It finally felt all right to smile after the shock of yesterday.

Back to Neji… 

Neji scanned the restaurant as they entered more from habit then anything else. When learning to use byakuugan he'd look at everything to get used to the feel. As he looked around the restaurant he saw a familiar face; Tenten was sitting in the back at a booth. He was about to go over and invite her and her companion to join their party when he saw that it wasn't her Mother there with her.

It was a man, about Hiashi's height, that was sitting there with her. Neji could only see the back of his head, but felt like that didn't matter. Tenten was sitting there smiling, and talking to this man openly. Neji felt his spirit's droop as he looked at her, she couldn't open up to him yesterday but she could talk to whoever this man was.

The truth had finally dawned on him; they were just friends. And whoever was with her now was much more.

Tenten was at home talking with her parents happily, feeling like a load had been lifted off of her shoulders. Even if she had to marry a stranger, she finally had a Father. That was worth more to her than anyone could imagine. Besides, Neji could always come visit her, or she could visit him. They would definitely keep in touch, she was sure of it.

"Tenten, can you get the groceries?" Her Mother called from the kitchen.

"Why? I did it last time?" Tenten complained.

"I promise I'll do it next time, please Tenten?"

Tenten groaned and finally took the list from her Mother. She set out at a slow pace, having nothing she needed to be on time for today. It was a pretty autumn day, all of the leaves were showing off their loveliest colors for the season. Tenten smiled as she saw Naruto run by with his following of children from the academy, it seemed like everything was back to normal in some strange way to her. She was finally adjusting to the idea of being the daughter of the Tenkage.

But then she walked into the store, and everything began to happen at once. She set about her shopping like normal, not noticing the stares from people she knew and didn't know alike. Then she got to the check out, and things got really weird.

"Look, it's Tenten!" Ino said and ran over, closely followed by Sakura. "We just heard the news, congratulations." She was smiling just a little too much for Tenten's comfort.

"When did you find out?" Sakura wanted to know.

"What…Are you talking about?" Tenten asked but they ignored her and kept asking strange questions. And as if out of nowhere, people started crowding around her. She tried to get to the check out but she couldn't get past the horde. Tenten was starting to panic when suddenly she was being yanked away from the crowd. Someone had taken her hand and was now pulling her out of the store. As they cleared the store, they picked up speed and ran away from the crowds of downtown Konoha. It was then that Tenten realized who had helped her, it was Neji.

They reached the top of a hill near her house, and he let go of her hand so abruptly that she stumbled. He seemed to be on edge for some reason, but she was grateful all the same.

"Thank you, Neji, I don't know what was going on in there," Tenten put down the groceries that they had run out with and looked at him. He had his back to her and seemed unable to reply.

"Is something wrong?" She asked, and that got a reaction.

"_'Is something wrong?'_ Why didn't you tell me? First I see you yesterday with some guy, and now I find _this_ out?" He thrust a paper at her, returning to his indifferent state after the outburst. Tenten blinked in surprise and then looked down at the paper. It was a tabloid and there was a front page picture of her next to one of Tenkage, describing her current situation.

_'Great… _Now_ he knows…'_ Tenten thought.

**A/N:** And now I'm going to leave you hanging, I have most of the chapters written because I had a spark of inspiration last night. This also means I can either be nice or wait a very long time to update... Please review and no flames please!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of the characters from Naruto.

_He thrust a paper at her, returning to his indifferent state after the outburst. Tenten blinked in surprise and then looked down at the paper. It was a tabloid and there was a front page picture of her next to one of Tenkage, describing her current situation._

_'Great… Now he knows…' Tenten thought._

Tenten felt a lump in her throat. Neji knew she was the Tenkage's daughter and did not seem happy about it. That was why she'd been ambushed in the store, she was practically a celebrity now. _'But… does he know I'm engaged?..' _She wondered.

"Neji, how was I supposed to tell you?" Tenten started and he finally turned to look at her. "It's not like I planned this."

"Is this why you were upset that day?" Neji asked calmly.

Tenten stared at him for a moment. She couldn't tell him_ exactly _why she had been crying, that would be admitting she liked him. But it would probably be better to let him think that this was the actual reason, so she nodded.

"There's more to it?" It was more of a statement than a question. She never could figure out how he did that, and it just got more irritating every time.

"Why is it such a big deal to you anyway?" Tenten snapped.

"I would like to know why there's a cut in my leg, if it's because of stress I can deal with it. If it's because of your fiancé I think I have a right to know a few more things," He pointed out.

_'Of course it was because of you, what else would it be!'_ She wanted to yell at him but the words wouldn't come to her mouth. Instead, she said, "I was stressed out alright? How would you feel if you'd come home to find the Tenkage sitting on your couch?"

That seemed to relax him a bit, but they both knew there was something she wasn't letting out in the open.

"So who's the lucky guy?" He asked emotionlessly. Neji didn't want to know, and he didn't want to ask, but he had nothing else to say. Besides, this is what friends talk about, right? And that's what he was to Tenten. A friend.

She shook her head disappointedly. "I've never even met him. Father hasn't even given me the guy's name yet." Neji sighed, he couldn't tell if it was relief because she didn't drag out the topic or because she didn't sound enthusiastic. Without a word, he gathered up the groceries and proceeded to walk her home. Tenten didn't argue, but merely lagged behind trying to think of a loophole that would get her out of this engagement.

Neji and Tenten walked in the front door as casually as if they did this everyday. It was actually rather common, more than once Neji had caught Tenten trying to carry home a load of groceries twice what she normally got. Rumiko thanked Neji as they came into the kitchen, and then Tenten slapped the magazine down in front of her Mother.

The room went silent as she scanned the headline, and then went for Tenten's Father calling 'Ama-kun' as she went. Tenten and Neji were left standing there in the kitchen, still brewing over the recent argument.

"Thanks for the hand with the groceries, I think Mom's a little preoccupied with the paper now," Tenten said, trying to leave an opening for him to excuse himself if he wanted to.

"I think I'd like to stay and meet your Father," He said. Neji watched Tenten's eyebrows in surprise but neither said anything more. Neji planned on seeing just what kind of person who hadn't even been in the same town thought he could chose a husband for Tenten. _'I could probably do better than whoever this Tenkage is,' _Neji thought to himself. _'Well, maybe not. I probably wouldn't think anyone was good enough. She'd end up an old maid…' _Neji winced at that thought and settled for just watching her. Tenten was clearly bored and had taken to spinning a nearby pencil with her chakra. He thought it was so funny when she did that, and she never knew what she was doing that was making him laugh.

"You're doing it again," Neji teased.

"Doing what?" Tenten asked and he just smirked. She rolled her eyes at him and the pencil stopped spinning. "One of these days you'll finally tell me."

"No, I won't."

"Why?"

"Then it would be no fun."

It was about then that Rumiko and Amaku came into the room, looking unsure of just what to do in their situation. Neji and Tenten fell silent and watched as they entered. Amaku's gaze fell upon Neji almost instantly, and the two seemed to have a brief staring contest.

"Amaku, this is Tenten's friend, Hyuuga Neji," Rumiko introduced them and they nodded once to each other.

"Tenten, we've talked it over, and we think you might need a body guard," Amaku said.

"What! You can't be serious!" Tenten looked horrified. Can you imagine trying to train with a bodyguard watching? Weird…

"So we will go to the academy and have a team assigned to you-" Amaku began but Neji interrupted.

"I could be her body guard," He stated clearly. All of the others turned to stare at him. Tenten's jaw dropped, _'Neji wants to be my bodyguard? Why?'_

"You? Are you even qualified?" Amaku sounded doubtful.

"We've been on the same team for a long time, we can work together if needed. And there are very few people in Konoha who would not leave me alone if threatened," Neji made his point. Tenten still couldn't believe her ears. _'What if he's still my bodyguard during the wedding? Oh how horrible…' _She thought.

"He is very capable, actually," Rumiko added. Amaku nodded at this but still appeared to be considering it.

"Tenten, how do you feel on this?" Amaku asked. They all turned to her and she swallowed. Neji looked so calm, she couldn't understand how he always seemed to manage that.

"I would feel better having Neji, since I already know him," Tenten said, somewhat timidly. She tuned out most of the details as they discussed them. Mainly, she caught that Neji would have to move in with them (_'Oh my God, he's going to live with me!' She thought happily_,) and it could last for a very long time.

"How long will you need me here?" Neji asked. Amaku looked at him for a long moment before he finally answered.

"Until I take her for her Wedding."  
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**A/N:** To Kodoku; Happy Birthday! I hope you had a great one and I'm glad you've enjoyed the story!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or any characters from Naruto.

"_How long will you need me here?" Neji asked. Amaku looked at him for a long moment before he finally answered._

_"Until I take her for her Wedding."_

Tenten studied the ground as her Father said this to Neji, she still didn't like it when the subject came up. But deep down, it didn't matter. Because Neji would be staying here, with her, and she could still spend time with him. _'Yes! You can win him over! And then he'll run away with you and you won't marry a stranger!'_ She thought but laughed at herself. Neji would never run away with anyone, ever. Besides, she was already promised to another.

Amaku sighed and stood up. Rumiko looked concerned but at the same time seemed happy about how things had worked out. "I need to go back and take care of a few things as Tenkage," Amaku began and looked at Tenten seriously. "You should come with me."

Tenten looked up at Amaku, unsure of how to react. Neji was sitting next to her, watching her indifferently, and her Mother made no effort to help. "Why?" Tenten finally asked.

"I have a meeting with your fiancé," He said and Tenten's stomach dropped. She would be eighteen in a week, and she had a bad feeling the plans were being made for her Wedding already.

"We had plans for today, and I need her at the Hyuuga Estate," Neji spoke up. It was Tenten's turn to stare at him. _'Is he standing up for me?' _She wondered.

"I suppose it can't be helped then, go on. I will be back in a few days," Amaku went towards the door and Tenten ran over to give him a hug. He seemed surprised by this display of affection, but was happy all the same. As he set out on his trip back, Neji and Tenten made their way to the Hyuuga Estate.

"Neji…Thank you for back there, um…I appreciate it," Tenten said, feeling embarrassed.

"It's nothing," He replied placidly. "I really do need you at home."

"Why?"

"I have to explain why I'm your bodyguard now and not Hinata's," Neji looked back at her meaningfully. "If you're not there it looks like I'm lying."

"Oh…" Tenten trailed off. "Why would you want to be my bodyguard anyway?"

Neji winced inwardly, he was afraid she was going to ask that. _'Because I feel for anyone else who'd have to be stuck with you, I know what you're capable of,'_ He thought, _'And, I wouldn't trust anyone else to do the job.'_ But what he actually told her was: "Because I know you."

Tenten seemed satisfied by this, and Neji let her feel that way. They walked together in silence. Thinking nearly the same thing and not knowing it. Both were wondering what the meeting with Tenten's fiancé would be about.

Takashi Amaku sat down with his daughter's fiancé with a grim look on his face. Even a single glance told him that he would not make Tenten happy, even with as little as he knew about her. The first hint was the drained look in the boy's face, and a touch of pain. Amaku sighed quietly, he knew Tenten wanted to be with that other boy. The Hyuuga. It was clear from the way she looked at him, even if that look was now tainted with this deal made by the previous Tenkage. Amaku straightened himself and put on a relaxed face for the meeting, all along still wondering if there was a way out for his daughter.

Tenten and Neji arrived at the Estate and found it very quiet. It was huge and Tenten made sure she never once lost Neji or she was sure she never would have come back out. The first person they came in contact with was Hinata, who politely greeted Neji but smiled timidly at Tenten. _'Oh joy, she's heard too,' _Tenten thought but was nice to Hinata all the same.

Neji made his way towards the center of the Estate and Tenten was following quietly. They reached the main room where Hiashi spent most of his time, and Neji entered after taking a deep breath. He had a bad feeling that Hiashi was not going to like this one bit.

They found him sitting on a mat in the center of the room. Tenten said nothing, but tried to admire the size and decorations of the room without distracting anyone. It appeared to be an indoor garden, complete with a fountain and a pond with three koi swimming around.

Neji and Tenten bowed to Hiashi, who returned this with only a nod. Neji pulled out his copy of the tabloid with Tenten's picture and thrust it to Hiashi who appeared not to care. As he read, Neji began telling him of the new job he would be doing.

"Hiashi-sama, I have been asked to be the bodyguard for Tenten until her Wedding," Neji said plainly. Tenten just remained quiet, unsure of what to do. Hiashi looked up at them, and activated byakuugan. Tenten had no idea how to react to this, but tried to stay as calm as Neji looked.

"You volunteered. You would leave us here and help this girl instead," Hiashi spoke and Neji's face began to contort in pain. Tenten flashed upon his match with Naruto in the exam, and realized that Hiashi was doing this with the seal.

"No…That's not it, it would be temporary…"Neji strained to say the words. Tenten panicked when she saw the feeling of pain on his face increase, she'd never seen him in so much pain.

"And what about your cousins Hinata and Hanabi? Do they not need you?" The pain was enough to make Neji squeeze his eyes shut, his hands balled into fists and he began to shake.

"Neji! Neji, are you okay?" Tenten was worried, she didn't like seeing him this way. She grabbed one of his shoulders, and could feel how tense he was. "Stop it! Don't do this!" She started yelling at Hiashi and at the same time tried to relax Neji somehow.

Without warning, Hiashi let go of the seal and Neji gasped. He fell into Tenten, panting from the pain that had coursed throughout his body. She knew it was more than physical as well, he had seen his Father go through the same ordeal and was just as helpless. Tenten held him against her shoulder, where he'd landed, and gently rubbed his back like her Mother did for her when she was younger.

Hiashi watched the scene before him calmly. He had not anticipated just how good of friends these two were, and he could tell that Neji had only the best intentions at heart. Hiashi felt for these two, recalling a similar situation in his youth… But that made no difference now.

"You may go, but come back once every Wednesday," Hiashi stated. Neji managed to straighten himself and bowed slightly to Hiashi.

"Thank you, Hiashi-sama," Neji was still out of breath, but rose and started to leave the room with Tenten close on his heels.

"Neji! Stop this, you need to rest a minute," Tenten tugged at his sleeve once they were out of the room and he stopped in the hallway. She watched him anxiously, and he leaned his back against a wall. He looked over at her once, and she could not read the look in his eyes. It was mix of sadness, a feeling of being weak, confusion and wanting.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of these characters, no matter how much I wish I did… 

She watched him patiently, and he leaned his back against a wall. He looked her over once, and she could not read the look in his eyes. It was a mix of sadness, a feeling of being weak, confusion and wanting.

'_Why does she have to be the one to see me like this?'_ He wondered and slowly sank to the floor, feeling too tired to stand. She knelt next to him, and Neji began to study the ground beneath him. Tenten watched him closely, and he didn't like being examined.

"Don't stare at me like that," He growled.

"If I knew what to do, I wouldn't be staring like this," She said matter of factly.

"Just give me a minute and I'll take you home," He sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"Don't we need to pack?" She asked and it was his turn to stare. "You're staying with me now, remember? So while we're here let's grab some of your things." Neji could only nod his agreement as he got up again. She tried to help him, but he didn't seem to take it well. Tenten frowned at him, _'Stubborn brat,'_ she thought as she followed him to his room.

They went in without a word and Tenten pushed him towards the bed. He stared at her for a moment again, and she just laughed at him.

"Lay down, recover some strength. You're no good to me worn out," Tenten managed to find a bag to pack while she made him rest. He just collapsed onto the bed and watched her go through all of his drawers. Neji didn't even argue as she went through the most embarrassing ones and put things into the pack for him. When Tenten had finished, she came over and sat next to him on the bed. Had Neji been feeling better, he would have considered using this to his advantage. He looked up at her wearily, thinking about whom her Father was talking to. Her fiancé, and here he was; her bodyguard.

Tenten rested a hand on his forehead for a moment and then felt his cheek. Neji wondered what she was doing, until she said that he felt feverish. He groaned, that would be the mark of the caged bird returning to normal. Tenten looked concerned, and looked around the room from the bed for something that might help.

"Well, I don't know what to do," She sighed. "Do you think you're okay to get back to my house?"

"Maybe, I don't think walking is the problem."

"I'll just help you then, come on," Tenten jumped off of his bed enthusiastically.

Neji wasn't sure what she meant, but sat up anyway. She took the pack and he led her out of the Estate. As they passed out of the front door, Tenten slipped an arm around Neji's waist and he jumped at the contact.

"What are you doing?"

"I said I was going to help you, now come on, this is no big deal," Tenten had the tone of voice that he knew meant she had made up her mind.

"At least give me the pack," He said and she didn't object.

Neji slid the straps onto his shoulders and allowed Tenten to put an arm around his waist again. He put his around her shoulders and they set off, him putting as little weight on her as possible despite feeling as weak as he did.They went out past the gate like this, not noticing the two shadows nearby. There was a giggle from one of them as the two passed.

"I was wondering how long that would take," Hanabiwhispered to Hinata, who nodded as they went into the Hyuuga estate.

xxxxxxx

"He is so wrong! How can you think that Neji?" Tenten yelled at him, but felt like laughing at the same time. They were arguing over the last episode of Inuyasha, and they were taking sides over Inuyasha and Kagome's latest argument.

"He's wrong? Kagome's the one who keeps going back the second things get difficult!" Neji looked ready to laugh too. Tenten was surprised at how much he'd opened up in the last few days. Apparently living with someone made a difference.

"Inuyasha has Kikyo! It's not like he's lonely! He owes it to both of them to just pick one!" Tenten argued and slowly realized she'd picked the wrong point. She felt like she had two, even if she didn't know who one of them was. And, well, the other didn't even know he was being considered.

"Kagome's always mad over something, how's he supposed to keep up anyway?" Neji smirked. "She's too high maintenance." Tenten threw a pillow at him, which he expertly ducked. This started the usual pillow fight, and when all of the pillows were gone Tenten's Mom called for dinner before they could raise all sorts of chaos.

The young weapons master walked into the dining room followed by the Hyuuga prodigy, still shoving each other in good fun. Rumiko smiled at the two of them as she set the food on the table. They all took their places when there was a knock at the door, and Neji jumped up to get it. After a few days of arguing it with him, they finally agreed that the bodyguard might as well get the door.

Tenten and Rumiko continued to eat when Neji came back in followed by Amaku. Rumiko greeted him happily and Tenten jumped up to give him a hug. Neji allowed himself a small smile at Tenten's happiness. Amaku sat down at the open spot at the table as Rumiko rushed off to get him some food.

"Tenten," He said with a smile, and pulled out a package. "I brought something back for you." Amaku slid the package over to Tenten who smiled as she pulled the paper off and saw a beautiful sword. It was long and had a graceful cherry-colored handle that could be for one or two hands. The blade curved gently and was engraved in ancient symbols. Tenten lit up instantly at the sight of it, and she lifted it away from the packaging like it was made of glass.

"It's beautiful," She cooed and smiled up at her Father.

"Tomorrow I will show you that technique I told you about," He smiled back at her and she nodded in agreement.

Neji watched the scene before him in silence, thinking. He nearly laughed out loud when it occurred to him that she could easily make herself a widow in no time with a sword like that. Neji almost pitied the poor soul she was engaged to now, even though he much deeper down felt jealousy.

_Neji woke up the next morning in a room he could not recognize, it was decorated in all pastels and smelled strangely sweet. Looking around, he realized he was not alone. On his left shoulder there was a head of brown hair, the locks cascading gently around the woman's body._

'What on earth…'_ He thought and then Tenten opened her eyes, smiling up at him. His stomach twisted in confusion. _'No way…We didn't…'

_"Good morning, Neji," She reached up with her hand to brush a stray hair out of his face, and he saw the ring on her finger. He panicked, thinking he'd just done something very wrong with a married woman. "Neji, what's wrong? Neji? Neji!"_

Neji jolted upright in his bed, and looked around. He could hear Tenten pounding on the door yelling for him to get up, and he knew he was still staying in their guestroom. With a sigh of relief, he yelled back at Tenten that he was up and she went away. He got dressed and went out to see what it was that she wanted.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. These characters are not mine. The idea is even 'loosely' based on something else. I have nothing!  
A/N: Okay since I got soooooooooo many sweet reviews I decided to update early, this chapter's a bit shorter but I'm getting close to the ending which will be more than worth it. Please R&R!

xxxxxxx

"Neji, want to come? Amaku is going to teach me a new technique," Tenten smiled at him, he still felt haunted by the weird dream.

"Yeah, sure," He grumbled. He wasn't a morning person like these two were, but he had to go with and play bodyguard. It was expected of him, after all.

So he followed the two as they went to one of the usual training spots in Konoha, keeping an eye out for those whom would choose to follow the Tenkage and his daughter. Of course that would be very foolish of them. Here was the Tenkage who could take care of himself, his daughter the weapons master with a brand new sword almost perfectly matched to her, and Hyuuga Neji. Anyone who followed would have to be very thick headed. Still, Neji kept an eye out for any possible disturbances.

As they got there, Neji stood off to the side with byakuugan activated. (You could never be too careful, right?) Tenten stood there happily, her pink top matching well with the rosy hue of the sword. Amaku gave her basic instructions, and she started out getting used to the feel of the blade. That didn't take very long, her specialty wasn't weapons for nothing.

"And here's the technique," Amaku told Tenten, "This sword was made with you in mind, I made sure of that. And this technique varies on the user. It will involve your strongest emotion."

"My strongest emotion?" Tenten wondered aloud. "How do I figure that out?" Amaku chuckled and leaned closer to Tenten.

"That, my girl, is why I had you invite your friend along," Amaku whispered and Tenten blushed. Amaku laughed once more and then prepared her for the technique.

"You need only to picture something representing this emotion to you," Her Father winked at her. "Hold it in your mind, and feel the emotion combine with your chakra…"

As Neji watched, he saw Tenten blush and then smile at him. He raised an eyebrow at this, wondering what Amaku had told her. Tenten had then closed her eyes and started concentrating on the technique. Neji then saw something strange. Most people had blue chakra, it was just the color it seemed to be. He had seen Naruto's turn red once, but other than that people in general had blue chakra. But now Tenten's was turning…pink. A very pretty, loving, warm pink. Neji stared at this in awe, not knowing what had caused this change.

As the chakra spread into the sword, she went for the tree Amaku had marked and it fell apart. Well, it and the two trees behind it, fell apart. That was the only way to truly describe it. The trees burst into pieces where the sword made contact. Neji stared at the sight, Tenten had never done something like this before. She even looked incredibly surprised. Amaku cheered and patted Tenten on the back. She smiled weakly, still too surprised.

"Hey, what color was the chakra?" Amaku called over to Neji.

"It was rose pink," He answered, "Just like the sword."

"Good, that means it's a perfect match," Amaku squeezed Tenten's shoulders and had her try it twice more. The second time the trees appeared to jump at the contact and then fell neatly into two piles. The last time, the trees burst into a million tiny fragments that none of them could see. Neji stood there in awe as they came back over to him when they had finished for the day.

"That will cut through anything, you'll do well with it Tenten," Amaku was smiling and Tenten looked pleased with herself as she sheathed the sword. Neji managed to smile at her, knowing that the sword was safely stored where he couldn't be harmedby it.

Amaku took them out to lunch at a small restaurant, and they all sat in a booth. Tenten was next to Neji, and Amaku had a whole side to himself. They all seemed to be in good spirits, that was until Amaku made an announcement.

"I have some good news, and some bad news about your engagement, Tenten," Amaku began and the other two fell silent. "The good news: I managed to reach an agreement with your fiancé, you are allowed to chose a suitor to compete against him."

"So I can chose someone to have a match against him?" Tenten asked and he nodded. "And the winner gets…me?" Again, he nodded.

"It was the best I could do, I'm sorry," Amaku did look sincerely sorry.

"What is the bad news?" Neji asked quietly, secretly trying not to seem as happy about the good news as he really was.

"…The competition will be on Tenten's eighteenth birthday," Amaku answered. Two pairs of eyes stared at him in disbelief now.

"But… That's only in three days!" Tenten was shocked.

"I'm so sorry, Tenten," He sighed and glanced at the clock. "And I'm sorry again but I really have to go." He rose to leave, which put the two younger ninjas alone together in their shock. "I suggest you find someone quickly," He said emotionlessly and left.

Tenten and Neji sat there in silence a long time before either spoke. It was a strange mix of hope and anticipation. She wished that maybe Neji would become her suitor, and he hoped that her fiancé would be a push over so he could have an easier time winning.

"Have I mentioned that I'm not that fond of your Father?" Neji asked quietly.

"Once or twice," She replied.

"Let's go," He said and they got up without another word. They walked out of the restaurant and neither really knew where they were going. In the end, they found themselves at an old training area, it was one of their favorites because no one ever bothered them there.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or any characters from Naruto.

_They walked out of the restaurant and neither really knew where they were going. In the end, they found themselves at an old training area, it was one of their favorites because no one ever bothered them there._

The news had surprised them both, and Neji knew he had to do something. If he didn't do it now, when the opportunity had finally arose, then he would regret it forever. This was destiny smiling down upon him, and he knew it. But he couldn't bring himself to say the words, they just wouldn't come to him. Somehow, years of keeping everything inside were keeping him from saying anything now, when it mattered the most. He looked into Tenten's eyes, and saw the same need to open up as he felt. Neji looked away a gain quickly, not ready to talk just yet. Things had been going so well for so many days now, what if this messed it all up? Thatw as the last thing he wanted. But still, deep down, he knew she wanted the same thing he did.

"Neji," Tenten finally broke the silence. He looked back at her and she noticed itwas starting to get dark. The lighting made his eyes seem to glow against the darkness creeping in to the world. She couldn't read the look in his eyes, but it didn't matter. They had three days, and it was now or never. "I…Really don't know how to say this… I l-" She was interrupted by his lips meeting hers. Tenten's eyes opened wide before shemelted into the embrace she had wanted for such a long time. His strong arms held her tight, never wanting to let her go.

"I know," He said as he slowly pulled away from her. "Make me your suitor, Tenten. I love you."

"I've waited so long for you to say that," She said into his shoulder. He cradled her head in his hand delicately and kissed her forehead. She wrapped her arms around him and just held him to her, feeling him return the warm embrace.

"It just took me this long to realize that was what I wanted," Neji answered. "I needed to think I'd lost you."

"You'll never lose me," She brought their lips together once more as they held each other in the growing dark.

-------------------------

Amaku returned to Rumiko's house long before the other two had and he simply strode in casually. Rumiko heard the door and called after him before he could reach his room.

"Where have you been? I was wondering…" Rumiko asked.

"I've been matchmaking," He called back with a smile, "They'll be home any time now."

---------------------------

Three days passed by in a breeze of Tenten and Neji training together. He needed the practice when the day came for him to face an unknown opponent. Tenten had no doubt of his ability, she knew he could probably beat anyone they threw at him. He wasn't so sure. The doubt kept clouding his thoughts as they trained. He would think of a million different factors that could cause him to fail. At the moment, he was completely unsure of his destiny. All he knew was that Tenten was in his future, and he would fightto keep it that way.

Tenten just did all she could to help Neji prepare, but the few days before the match were some of the happiest she'd ever had. Every day she was with Neji, and they would not only train together like always but he would hold her like she'd always dreamed of. She finally knew what it was like to be truly close to him, and it felt like she would never stop smiling. But time was not on their side.

As the fateful day came, the whole group went to the other village. Tenten felt nervous throughout the journey. She was about to meet her fiancé, and announce Neji as the man that she really wanted. Doubt nagged at her, _'What if I do have to marry the other one?' _She shuddered at the thought.

Neji was just about as uncomfortable. He was about to fight for Tenten's hand in marriage, something didn't quite feel right and that feeling would not go away. Despite the feel of Tenten's hand in his, he knew they were in for a big surprise. She gently squeezed his hand and placed her head on his shoulder. At the moment they were staying in aroom outside of the mainhallwaiting for the ceremony where the suitors would be announced. The first thing on the agenda for the ceremony: presenting Tenten to her suitors formally.

She was already dressed for the occasion. Her hair was down, flowing gently around her shoulders, and her Mother had made her put on make up. Tenten was wearing a soft pink dress that looked gauzy but was made of several layers of fabric. The hem was uneven, giving it the appearance of floating as she walked. The neck line was a V, enough to leave a few things to the imagination but close enough to make Neji's blush lightly (because _the_ Hyuuga Neji just doesn't blush).

"We're ready for you now, Tenten," Amaku had suddenly appeared and held out his arm for her to take. Tenten gave Neji a quick kiss on the cheek and went to join her Father. He felt alone as she left, but Rumiko guided him to his place with the crowd. The room was huge, adn Neji suddenly felt very out of place.It wasn't very long before Amaku and Tenten appeared before the crowd.

"May I present, my daughter, Takashi Tenten," the Tenkage announced grandly and she smiled as best she could. "And the two competing for her hand are; Hyuuga Neji of Konoha,-" Neji gave a slight nod from the midst of the crowd as Amaku pointed to him.Tenten smiled down at him as he looked back at her. "- and Gaara of the Sand."

**A/N:** Sorry for the short chapter, I wanted to cut off right here for suspense. Please review!


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of the characters from Naruto.  
**A/N:** Okay may I just say that I LOVE everyone who has reviewed. You guys are the best! And thanks to that I might even add one more chapter, just a lil fluff. I don't know, anyone interested? Let me know.  
_Special thanks to my new friend for checking the main scene for me!_

xxxx

"_May I present, my daughter, Takashi Tenten," the Tenkage announced grandly and she smiled as best she could. "And the two competing for her hand are; Hyuuga Neji of Konoha,-" Neji gave a slight nod from the midst of the crowd. Tenten smiled down at him as all eyes looked towards him.  
"- and Gaara of the Sand."_

All eyes went to the back of the room to see Gaara standing there, looking as bored and tired as always. Tenten's stomach flipped at the announcement, there was no wonder her father had decided not to drop her fiancé's name. Gaara stood there, not even noticing the eyes upon him, with Temari and Kankuro to each side. He had his gourd of sand as always, and was wearing a basic long sleeved magenta shirt and plain black slacks with a white sash tied around his waist.

Neji's eyes widened slightly at the sight of his competition, realizing the difficulty of the task that now lay before him. He could only think of one person who had beaten Gaara; Naruto. And Naruto had even beaten Neji, the odds were not looking in Neji's favor. Turning his white eyes up to look at Tenten, he saw the worry she had in her eyes that she tried to hide. Neji frowned, if anything he had to at least keep her from marrying Gaara. He remembered how concerned she'd been for Lee after the match against Gaara during the Chuunin exam, he couldn't let her marry Gaara.

Gaara didn't pay much attention to the scene around him. The only thing that interested him was his "fiancé". She was the girl who had thrown weapons randomly at Temari during the Chuunin exam. Why did he have to do this? There was no point, he was only following the rules laid down for him as the Kazekage. He'd learned that there was more to life than killing, but that didn't mean he took a lot of joy in his life. Gaara glanced over at his competition once more, seeing the man his fiancé had chosen over him. He couldn't really blame her, this Neji was at least someone she knew. But the look in this guy's eyes as he looked up at the Tenkage's daughter, even Gaara who hadn't spent much time socializing could see that there was something more than friendship there. Gaara looked back up at the girl once more, she was okay looking and didn't seem too annoying. He sighed, if he was going to marry someone it might as well be this one. He had his doubts that he'd ever find someone else who would marry him.

As Amaku said the rules of the match, Tenten didn't listen. She could only imagine what was about to happen, and she was worried. The winner would marry her, and she felt completely powerless. She had a fifty- percent chance of happiness, and a fifty- percent chance of the unknown. The unknown worried her, and she didn't want to know what it would be like to marry Gaara. Little did she know, destiny had a plan for her and she would have no control over her fate.

xxxx

Before they knew it, Neji and Gaara were standing on a field. Spectators from many different villages surrounded them. Tenten and her father sat on one side of the field near them; Gaara's posse sitting equally as close on the other side. Neji and Gaara stood there in silence, both being as practiced in stoicism as the other. Tenten felt butterflies in her stomach, she was nervous for Neji. The sword at her hip sent waves of feeling through her, as her thoughts became more emotional. Her father had told her that once the bond was made between her and the sword it would react with her feelings, but it had never been this strong before. Then again, she'd never been so worried for Neji before.

Neji casually looked over at her, and she did her best to give him a reassuring smile. As unnerved as she felt, he had to be worse off. He was the one on the field after all. In the stands, their friends from Konoha were cheering even though it blended in with all of the other shouts.

"Why is Neji fighting Gaara anyway?" Shikamaru groaned from boredom.

"He's fighting for Tenten's love, of course!" Ino squealed and bounced a little in her seat.

"She loves Gaara?"

"No, stupid! She loves Neji, but she's engaged to Gaara!"

"Oi…How troublesome…" Shikamaru muttered but Ino hit him upside the head anyway. Behind them, more of their friends were talking about the same thing.

"It's so sweet! Neji's fighting for her!" Sakura sang happily, Naruto and Sasuke on either side of her.

"Why is it sweet?" Naruto asked.

"Because he's saving her from marrying that awful Gaara!"

"…But…You won't let me save you from Sasuke…" Naruto said quietly and received a lump on the head from Sakura for the hidden insult to the Uchiha next to her.

As the cheering continued, Gaara made the first move, if it could even be called that. The sand slowly started spilling out from his gourd and growing in a pile around his feet. Neji took the scene in and analyzed it, if he went up to hit Gaara, the sand would block it. If he used a katana, or any other weapon, the sand would block it. He was better with close-range combat, but Gaara's defenses were too strong for him.

Neji looked over at the stand once more, and the worried look on Tenten's face only made him more afraid of losing. Not only would he end up in bad shape, if not dead, she would have to marry Gaara. He turned back to his opponent, smirking inwardly. _'Technically, as her bodyguard, I have to protect her. That counts for emotional damage as well, right?'_

Taking a deep breath, Neji finally decided to give an attack with weaponry a try. He threw several shuriken at him, only for them all to be caught by a wall of sand. He tried twice more, once with senbon and once with kunai. Both had the same result. Gaara smirked ever so slightly, _'This guy's been spending too much time around the weapons mistress' _Gaara thought.

Neji had one more weapon to try, a katana. He ran towards Gaara, bringing up his katana as he went. Gaara stood there, like always. Never moving, and simply watching the spectacle like he was witnessing a boring TV show. Then without warning, the sand came up at Neji.

It was like a million tiny vines, all wrapping around Neji's arms at once and tightening. He shouted without realizing it, and dropped his katana. The pressure began to increase slowly, and Neji realized he was losing circulation.

"No! Neji!" Tenten cried, flashing upon the memory of Gaara's sand severely damaging Lee's left arm and left leg.

"USE YOUR EYES YOU FOOL!" Someone screamed from the sidelines and Neji seemed to snap out of whatever daze he was in. It was an obvious answer, how else was Gaara controlling the said? It was chakra, and he hadn't even thought to use byakuugan. He instantly activated it and shot through the sand holding him with gentle fist. Tenten fidgeted nervously, if she'd let him practice byakuugan or gentle fist more with her it might have occurred to him sooner.

"You idiot! You helped the wrong person!" Kankuro snarled at Temari who was too taken with the action before them to care.

"What does it matter? He's at least fighting for something, Gaara doesn't even care!" Temari replied and they lost track of their argument as things began to happen on the field.

Neji was hitting every available point on Gaara that he could reach with unthinkable speed. As much as the sand attempted to block his attack, at least one or two hits would sneak through with each attempt. Retreating to a safer distance, Neji looked over the damage he'd done. And he was disappointed to see that it was not what he'd hoped for.

About half of Gaara's chakra was restricted now, unfortunately that meant half of his sand was still fully useable. That gave Neji the possibility of one opening to the side, but it was a very slim shot. Even if the chakra on one half of Gaara's body was blocked, the sand likely wasn't.

But he had no choice, the image of Tenten's smiling face burned brightly in the back of his mind. Neji knew he had to try it, for her sake. He feigned attacks with kunai so that he could have more time to assess the situation. Once he decided on a place to charge once more, he walked to the other side to throw Gaara off his plan. And then, Neji charged.

"Why on earth is he doing that again?" Naruto groaned. "He should know by now it's not going to work."

"He's already sliced Gaara's chakra output in half, he's trying to attack in one of the weak spots he created," Sasuke explained calmly, causing Naruto to roll his eyes.

"It won't work."

"How do you know?"

"It-It just won't!" Naruto went red.

"Even a long shot is worth a try when something important is on the line," Sakura said plainly, glancing down at Tenten pointedly.

The crowd gasped when Neji landed several blows using the 64 hands of Hakke. Gaara's sand shell cracked all the way up his neck and stopped beneath his chin. There was another gasp from the crowd when Neji went around the side to land a finishing blow and the sand took a hold of him once more.

Neji cried out in surprise, and attempted to pull free with gentle fist. Gaara anticipated the attack and had prepared for it by keeping extra sand near at all times to keep Neji trapped. Both hands were caught in a glob of sand that was quickly becoming harder and harder. He grunted involuntarily, fighting the sand as best as he could.

"I think I remember you now," Gaara spoke at last, his voice even toned and casual. "That 'Hyuuga prodigy', right?"

"Yeah, what difference does it make now?" Neji felt the sand crushing his hands more and more with each passing second.

"It doesn't. I was just wondering what kind of person my fiancé chose to pit against me."

"She doesn't even know you. You don't know her, why do you want to marry her anyway?" Neji asked, the pain making him want to fall to his knees but he managed to stand.

"I didn't plan it. My father did, the last Kazekage. Because he died, the next Kazekage has to fill the deal made with Tenkage. I have to do it."

"What? The last Tenkage and the last Kazekage make a deal, so the next two have to fulfill it? Why not change it?" Neji asked incredulously.

"We cannot. It was a written document for the peace to be maintained between our two countries. We tried a few days ago, this very match was the only loophole we could find."

Things seemed to make more sense to Neji, in a fuzzy painful sort of way. The deal was written and sealed, and neither party could do anything to change that. Once more, he looked at Tenten. She and her father were just the wrong people at the wrong time, and he was right there with them.

"You don't even want her, why not just let me win?" Neji questioned.

"Now that just wouldn't be a fair match, now would it?" Gaara said and Neji happened to see the sand coming up around him. With horror, he realized that a desert funeral was on the way if he didn't do something fast.

"Daddy! Do something!" Tenten cried, the emotion overpowering her. She knew what was coming and couldn't allow it to be.

"I can't," The Tenkage said plainly. Tenten's eyes filled with tears and one slid silently down her cheek. "But, the rules do say that 'if the prize should see the match as uneven, the prize is allowed the chance to put things in their favor'."

Realization dawned on her as her father spoke those words. She was the prize, and she could clearly see that Neji was about to die if he didn't get help soon. And she had a sword that she knew how to use at her hip, a sword that could cut through anything. Even sand.

Neji felt panic set in as the sand closed in around him, getting taller and taller. He was helpless, he couldn't move and he couldn't stop this from happening. But then he saw it; the flash of pink.

In a single, swift motion Tenten had not only cut the sand holding Neji's arms, but the back wave cracked Gaara's shell even further and blew the sand away from her and Neji. As the breeze from her sword settled, she stood with her sword at the ready between Neji and Gaara. Gaara looked mildly surprised, and Neji was shocked.

"What are you doing?" Neji demanded.

"Saving your life, you're welcome," Tenten smirked over her shoulder at him.

"You can't do that!"

"Yes I can, it's in the rules. The prize, me, is basically allowed to judge and I decided to step in."

"This is humiliating…"

"Don't worry, you'll be more embarrassed when we get married. We're going to have an American style wedding!"

"What? No we won't!"

"Oh, yes we-"

"Argue some other time," Gaara snarled and the two stopped bickering immediately. Gaara's face was cracked and sand was pouring out. He did not look happy with the two standing before him.

"Look! They're working together now! It's like a fairytale!" Ino squealed.

"Nah, it's more like a fan fic," Shikamaru suggested.

"A what?"

"Troublesome…" Shikamaru grumbled and Ino was distracted once more by action in the arena.

The sand slowly rose and came back at the couple from Konoha. Tenten merely positioned her sword, muttered a mantra under her breath, and let loose another deadly blow from her sword. The waves of energy flew at Gaara, ripping apart the ground at his feet. Clouds of dust blocked all view for a moment, feeling like an eternity to all of those watching.

Tenten and Neji shielded each other from the dust, and looked up cautiously as it settled. It looked like there was nothing left where Gaara had stood. Chunks of the ground were torn up, but if one were to look closely Gaara was laying on top of one piece still flat on the ground. Stiff pieces of sand were standing around him but had failed to shield him completely from the blast, and he was barely retaining consciousness. The medic nin rushed out and put him on a stretcher for treatment. As they left, the arena fell silent, like it was waiting for something.

"Tenten," Neji said and she turned to look at him, her hair and dress still billowing in the breeze gently. "We won." Tenten smiled as she slowly realized this as well, and Neji pulled her towards him for a kiss. Then, the arena burst out in applause.

The Tenkage rose to announce the obvious outcome of the match, and Tenten's future husband. Everyone continued cheering, except for the two standing in the middle of the arena whom were too consumed in their own world to bother with anyone else's.

"They won! It's so perfect!" Sakura cheered, with Naruto happily shouting beside her.

"I love happy endings!" Ino squealed once more, and Shikamaru couldn't help but smile at her excitement.

In the end, the happiest two that day were of course Tenten and Neji. They were married after a long engagement, and eventually had two children. Their older child, a son named Ashitaka, was the number one rookie of his year and used byakuugan while never failing to hit his targets with deadly accuracy. Their daughter, Minako, became the owner of a very successful weaponry shop.

The deal made between the Tenkage and Kazekage was officially broken, but the two villages managed to maintain friendly relations with each other. Sources are unsure if this had anything to do with the power of a certain kunoichi's sword against sand, but the more accepted tale is that Gaara decided to drop the agreement.

-The End-


End file.
